The med school application timeline starts in the spring and ends when classes begin in the fall of the following year. That is the AAMC’s own description, and it means that to start medical school in fall 2028, you apply in 2027. The three application services that set the calendar had posted dates only for the current cycle when we read their pages on October 10, 2026, so every date below carries its cycle.
Each service names that cycle differently. AAMC’s AMCAS application page calls it the 2027 AMCAS application, for applicants who “wish to start medical school in Fall 2027.” TMDSAS calls it Entry Year 2027, and AACOMAS calls it the 2026-2027 cycle. All three names describe the same entering class.
The Med School Application Timeline at a Glance
Dates are from the cycle now running, for fall 2027 entry.
| When | What happens | Published date (cycle) |
|---|---|---|
| Before May | Line up letter writers, MCAT timing and any AAMC Fee Assistance award | Fee assistance must come before AMCAS submission (2027 AMCAS) |
| Early May | Applications open | TMDSAS May 1; AACOMAS May 4, 2026; AMCAS May 5, 2026 |
| Mid to late May | Submission opens | TMDSAS May 15; AMCAS May 28, 2026; AACOMAS from opening day |
| Late June | AMCAS starts sending applications to schools | June 26, 2026 (2027 AMCAS) |
| August 1 | Early Decision Program deadline | AMCAS (August 3 in 2026); TMDSAS (its early decision programs) |
| August to December | Individual AMCAS school deadlines | AAMC: "typically" this window |
| October 1 | Early decision results; TMDSAS medical deadline | 2027 AMCAS; Entry Year 2027 |
| October 15 | Regular MD acceptances may begin (AAMC recommendation); Texas offers begin | AAMC protocols; Entry Year 2027 |
| January 29 and February 12 | Texas ranking deadline, then match results | Entry Year 2027 |
| March 15 | MD schools should have made at least as many offers as their expected class size | AAMC protocols |
| April 15 and April 30 | Narrow to no more than three MD acceptances, then to one | AAMC protocols; TMDSAS also April 30 |
| April 30 | Last day to submit an AACOMAS application, per AACOM's page; the AACOMAS help center keeps submissions open until August 2, 2027 | 2026-2027 cycle (April 30, 2027) |
TMDSAS prints its dates without a year. For Entry Year 2027, the May to October dates fell in 2026 and the January to May dates fall in 2027.
Where the 2026-27 Cycle Stands in October 2026
For MD programs, AAMC says the 2027 AMCAS application “is now open.” Schools were to notify early decision applicants by October 1, and regular acceptances can start on October 15.
Texas is further along. TMDSAS closed medical applications for Entry Year 2027 on October 1 and states that it “does not grant deadline extensions under any circumstances.” Texas medical schools begin extending offers on October 15. Applicants rank schools by January 29, and match results follow on February 12.
Osteopathic applicants still have months. AACOM’s AACOMAS page lists April 30, 2027 as the “Last day for AACOMAS application submissions to be completed,” while the AACOMAS help center’s cycle dates page keeps submissions open until August 2, 2027, and neither page explains the difference. Each college still sets its own deadline, which AACOM lists in its Choose DO Explorer.
Applying in 2027 for Fall 2028: Step by Step
The steps below follow the 2027-entry calendar, the most recent one published. Swap in each 2028 date as the services post it.
Before May: Letters, Test Scores and Fee Assistance
Decide who will write your letters of recommendation before the application opens. You do not have to wait for them: AAMC’s AMCAS FAQ says your MCAT scores and letters “do not have to be received by the AMCAS program before you submit your application.”
MCAT scores reach your AMCAS schools automatically as they become available, per AAMC’s applicant guide, but AACOM’s application process page says “MCAT scores are not released to AACOMAS automatically.”
If you need the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, apply for it first. The 2027 AMCAS Applicant Guide says you must submit that application before your AMCAS application, and that its benefits “are not retroactive.”
May and June: Open, Submit, Verify
For the 2027 cycle, AAMC opened AMCAS on May 5, 2026, according to its 2027 application workbook. Submission began May 28, and transmission to medical schools began June 26. AAMC posted both dates on its AMCAS page that spring (archived on May 17, 2026).
AAMC’s overview of applying to medical school describes the usual pattern. It says the application “typically opens during the first week of May” and that submission opens in the first week of June. In 2026, submission came earlier than that, on May 28.
In the 2027 cycle the other two services moved first. TMDSAS opened on May 1 and took submissions from May 15. Its application carries its own essays, including a Personal Characteristics essay with a new prompt for Entry Year 2027. AACOMAS opened for submissions on May 4, 2026, the day its colleges also began “receiving and processing applications.”
Submitting is not the same as reaching schools. AMCAS checks your coursework against your official transcripts first, and its guide says that “may take six to eight weeks” in peak season. If AMCAS returns your application for errors, the date you resubmit is the one that counts against each school’s deadline.
Late June to December: Secondaries, Deadlines and Interviews
Once a school receives your primary application, it may send a secondary application, which AAMC describes as “an additional school-specific application.” Each AMCAS school also sets its own deadline. AAMC says those deadlines “typically fall between August and December,” with transcripts due 14 calendar days after each one.
The Early Decision Program runs on a fixed date instead. You apply to one school by August 1, which became August 3 in 2026 because August 1 fell on a Saturday. Schools notify early decision applicants by October 1.
Interviews follow each school’s own calendar. The same AAMC overview says: “Most medical schools require an interview, though the process varies by school.”
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine publishes one full calendar for its 2027 application. It lists regular interviews from August to February and, for regular admissions, a secondary deadline of December 1, 2026. Its secondary page says invitations go out “starting in mid-July to applicants with a verified AMCAS application.”
October to April: Decisions
For MD programs, AAMC’s Application and Acceptance Protocols recommend that schools tell regular applicants of an acceptance “on or after October 15 of each admission cycle, but no earlier.” By March 15, schools should have made at least as many acceptance offers as the students they expect in the entering class. The protocols for applicants then ask you to narrow to no more than three acceptances by April 15 and to one by April 30. AAMC adds that the protocols are “not intended to supersede the policies, timelines, or discretion of individual schools or programs.”
Osteopathic colleges keep a different clock. AACOM’s traffic guidelines say colleges “may begin extending offers of admission at any time after the interview.” They also set how long you have to send a deposit and matriculation documents:
- Accepted before November 15: until December 14
- Accepted November 15 to January 14: 30 days
- Accepted January 15 to April 30: 14 days
- Accepted on or after May 1: a deposit may be due immediately
In Texas, medical applicants holding several offers must choose by April 30. From May 15, TMDSAS medical schools can no longer make offers to Texas applicants holding another seat. If something significant happens while you wait, read each school’s own policy before you send an update letter.
Rolling Admissions, as the Services Describe It
AACOM explains rolling admissions on the same application process page. Osteopathic colleges “make admissions decisions on a rolling basis,” which it defines as reviewing applications, interviewing and deciding “throughout the admissions cycle.” It adds a warning: “Remember that interview slots may be awarded and/or classes may be filled if you apply close to the deadlines.”
TMDSAS uses the term for one stretch of its calendar. Its rolling admissions period begins on February 12, after match results.
What AACOM describes is a risk of applying late. It puts no number on that risk, and none on any benefit of applying early.
Planning Your Cycle With ExceptionalGrad
ExceptionalGrad’s medical school application advising includes Individual Applicant Advising, for when you are “planning your application in advance,” in the service page’s words. Its Detailed Application Review covers “all sections of the application including essays and experiences” before you submit. Our advisors edit and advise; they never write your essays. If you are applying this cycle or next and want your own dates mapped against these, start with a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does AMCAS open for submission?
In the 2027 cycle, 23 days after it opened: AAMC opened the application on May 5, 2026 and took submissions from May 28. AAMC’s general description is the first week of May and the first week of June. Use the gap: AAMC accepts transcripts from opening day, once you have started your application.
When is the AMCAS application deadline?
Each school sets its own, so there is no single AMCAS deadline. AAMC says they typically fall between August and December, that you must submit by 11:59 p.m. ET on the date, and that programs at one school can differ. Early Decision is the exception: August 1 for the application and every official transcript.
When do secondaries come out?
On each school’s own schedule, after it receives your primary application. Some wait for AMCAS verification first. For the 2026-2027 cycle, the University of Cincinnati said it would send invitations from mid-July to applicants with a verified AMCAS application, with a December 1, 2026 secondary deadline for regular applicants.
How long does AMCAS verification take?
AAMC’s applicant guide says six to eight weeks in peak season. Its FAQ counts that from Ready for Review, the day your application and all official transcripts are in, and elsewhere gives about six weeks. It also says your application “does not need to be processed/verified by the deadline date.”